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A 3d controller. If you do production 3D CAD work, and you don’t have one, you’re running with one hand tied behind your back. So to speak.
Here’s an amateurish video I shot at SolidWorks World with Mark Driscoll, of 3Dconnexion, showing their new SpaceMouse Pro.
Danny Ellis was first introduced to CAD in high school with a course in Autodesk Inventor. As he advanced into the engineering program at the University of Michigan, he was introduced to CATIA.
“In between my freshman and sophomore years, I became irritated at how cumbersome it was to rotate a model using a traditional mouse. I thought I could get a trackball mouse and program it so when I rotate the mouse it rotates the part on screen. That’s when I came across 3Dconnexion. I ordered their SpaceNavigator right away,” said Ellis.
In 2009 during his senior year, Ellis began researching an aerial robot competition. Five days later, he started the Michigan Autonomous Aerial Vehicles (MAAV) team with 15 members. Within one week, the team kicked off their first quadrotor design for the International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC). At the end of the first year, MAAV successfully built two quadrotor vehicles capable of manual flight.
“The IARC challenge is to build a flying robot of any type you want. We chose a four-rotor helicopter that can fly through an unknown building completely on its own,” added Ellis. “There can be no communication with the device. The robot follows signs, must avoid detection from security cameras, locate a room, retrieve a flash drive, drop off the decoy, and get out in less than 10 minutes. No one has completed the mission yet, but we are one of the better teams competing. It’s the most challenging mission to date.”
When Ellis started the team, he wanted to get a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse for everyone. “It makes modeling CAD designs so much faster and easier,” said Ellis. IN addition, the team quickly realized trying to fly the quadrotor with a standard joystick didn’t mimic the movements very well and wasn’t intuitive enough for the user. A 3D mouse could mimic the exact movement of the robot. It was at this point the team decided to take matters into their own hands and control flight with a 3D mouse.
“We use the 3Dconnexion SDK to develop a driver to control the quadrotor with the SpaceExplorer and it quickly allowed us to control pitch and roll, zoom control height, and rotation control yaw,” noted Ellis. “In addition, The SpaceExplorer’s Intelligent Function Keys control other commands such as on/off and camera control.”
Today, Ellis is still the head of the MAAV team while also completing two masters in aerospace engineering and robotics. He continues to use CATIA for all of his designing both for the team and his class projects. He also works at a student lab training other students involved in competitions in CAD modeling and machining.
He uses the SpacePilot Pro. “A 3D mouse allows me to easily interact with the model while clicking and drawing in 3D at the same time,” he said.
3Dconnexion
3Dconnexion announced its intelligent 3D navigation technology is now available in Autodesk Maya, ensuring the ultimate level of control over 3D models and scenes for digital artists in any profession or industry.
Whether working with larger models or focusing on intricate details, the intelligent 3D navigation technology automatically determines the optimal center of rotation based on the user’s point of interest. In addition, the center of rotation can be (optionally) seen through an icon to give designers a reference point when controlling spin, tilt and roll motion, resulting in an extremely intuitive 3D navigation experience.
“Our innovative intelligent 3D navigation feature provides unprecedented levels of control,” said Antonio Pascucci, vice president of products, 3Dconnexion. “By automatically establishing and displaying the optimal center of rotation, designers are free to focus more on the creative elements of their designs without having to think about positioning the model or navigating the scene.”
Autodesk Maya users can easily switch between different intelligent 3D navigation modes including object mode, camera mode and target camera mode to suit their project or personal preference. Additionally, the rotation center calculation can be applied to the whole model or focused on a selected part. Further features are available including Lock Horizon, Move Objects and Autokey Animation.
In addition to intelligent 3D navigation, the latest driver update also streamlines the 3Dconnexion 3D mouse user interface within Maya. By using the Menu or Panel button on the 3D mouse, a pop-up menu is activated to centralize all 3D mouse related options into one location. The new pop-up menu simplifies the interface by grouping functions and hiding details the designer may not be interested in. The new menu also minimizes screen clutter and provides designers with a clearer view of their designs.
3Dconnexion
www.3Dconnexion.com
3Dconnexion announced Autodesk added native 3D mouse support in Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012, Autodesk Revit Structure 2012, and Autodesk MEP 2012 software applications. 3Dconnexion 3D mice complement the intuitive interface and modeling and documentation tools in Revit software, helping to enhance every design workflow stage with increased productivity and comfort.
3Dconnexion also announced 3D mouse support in Autodesk Navisworks 2012 software applications, bringing 3D mouse navigation benefits to model integration, review, and analysis. Offering a level of design interaction unattainable with a traditional mouse and keyboard, 3D mice allow Revit and Navisworks users to pan, zoom and rotate simultaneously to deliver navigation and more intuitive control, helping to boost productivity and efficiency while aiding user comfort.
Revit offers a comprehensive level of support for 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice, with an enhanced workflow at every step of the design process, including:
3D Modeling: Leveraging a two-handed workflow with a 3D mouse and traditional mouse results in intuitive and precise 3D navigation and a more fluid, productive design process
Client Presentation: 3D mice help clients visualize a project with cinematic-like motions and smooth transitions from one perspective to another, giving the viewer a sense of being in the actual space
User Interface: An intuitive navigation bar features options for controlling the view, including navigation modes, keeping the scene upright, center tool, and 3Dconnexion driver control panel
2D and 3D Navigation: When working in 3D, users can quickly switch between object and walk/fly camera modes within the conceptual design, 3D model or client presentation; in 2D, designers can continue editing while working in detail sheets and section views with easy pan and zoom functionality
Button Mapping: 3Dconnexion’s Professional Series products feature programmable function keys for instant access to commonly used application commands, and QuickView Navigation keys for one-touch access to specific views
3Dconnexion
www.connexion.com
3Dconnexion today announced it has shipped more than one million 3D mice, supporting today’s 3D software solutions from companies including Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, Siemens, PTC, Google, Microsoft, and Adobe across CAD, digital content creation, architecture and construction, and geographic information systems.
The devices unlock the power of 3D design applications by allowing you to interact naturally with 3D content as if they are holding the model or camera in their hand. Many of the world’s leading companies in industries from aerospace to automotive, consumer goods to electronics, and machine tools to game development, use 3Dconnexion 3D mice to boost productivity, efficiency and the comfort of their design teams.
To mark its “One Millionth 3D Mouse Milestone,” 3Dconnexion will host several activities throughout the next month, offering users the opportunity to win a 3D mouse. For more information, visit 3Dconnexion’s website, Facebook and Twitter.
The core technology inside all of 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice originates from the field of robotics and space exploration. In 1993, a 3D controller was used on the space shuttle Columbia, manipulating the first robotic arm in space, and was the launching point for a family of 3D mice that now help 3D professionals in hundreds of thousands of organizations to design, innovate and create some of the most well known products in the world.
3Dconnexion
Line 6 offers an array or award-winning music creation products from guitars and amplifiers, to effects, effects processors, and recording interfaces. Renowned for its studio and stage-standard gear, Line 6 invented digital guitar amp modeling technology in 1996, and currently is the number one developer of guitar amps used by pros and hobbyists.
Line 6’s lead industrial designer, Dale Wagler, and the rest of the engineering team spend an average of five to six hours per day working in SolidWorks, each using a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse to design and test their products. “When you’re working in a complex application hours on end each day, working as efficiently as possible has a tremendous impact on the design process,” says Wagler. Using his 3D mouse, “I move around models in assemblies so much, that not having to stop what I am doing and click and drag, and scroll the wheel, is the biggest benefit.”
For the past five years, Wagler and his team have been using 3Dconnexion 3D mice to design their products, from guitar and bass amps, to recording interfaces and stompbox pedals. Most recently, the team worked on the design of the Relay G-series digital guitar wireless system used by Steve Stevens with Billy Idol, Peter Stroud with Sheryl Crow, and Sarah McLaughlin on stages across the world, as well as the next generation of Variax modeling guitars – Variax designed by James Taylor. Wagler drives the conceptual stage of products and then works closely with the engineering team to finalize the working design. According to Wagler, 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice have had a positive impact on the quality of their designs and the team’s overall productivity. “You can do these things with a standard mouse, but they are not as sure-fire. With the SpacePilot PRO, I can move around a model and rotate an assembly with greater ease – as if I’m holding it in my hand.”
3Dconnexion
www.3dconnexion.com
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